Shareholder Benefits

[copper004]

Owning 100+ shares of NCL stock can earn you anywhere from $50 to $250 OBC, depending on the length of the cruise. The fine print for the benefits said it excludes the Reduced Rates programs. With a lot of us re-booking cruises, aren’t we getting “reduced rates”? A lot of people on other social media sites and bragging about buying NCL stock when it was really low. And yes, the price has doubled from its low point. (Yes, I bought 100 shares too) But I’m not really sure I am going to see any OBC in my future sailings. Does anyone have some experience with the shareholders benefits? I would also not be surprised if they cancel shareholder benefits due to how low the stock went and so many people buying in. Has anyone heard anything from NCL on this topic?

[FLAHAM]

I have received the shareholder's OBC for every cruise taken or booked (3 currently) despite utilizing every other promo offered on the website.  I think the limitation refers to such discount programs as large group booking, travel industry promo booking, etc.

[The Traveling Man]

We have received shareholder benefit OBC on our last 20 NCL cruises.  You need to jump through some hoops to request the credit, filling out a form and supplying proof of ownership of your shares.  NCL occasionally has forgotten to credit us by check-in time, but we always have been able to work with the Guest Services Desk to get it straightened out by the end of our cruise.  Using FCC or a Cruise Next Deposit has never been a problem in getting the benefit.  I think the issue you mention may be with chartered cruises or booking a large number of people at a discounted group rate.

[copper004]

21 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

I have received the shareholder's OBC for every cruise taken or booked (3 currently) despite utilizing every other promo offered on the website.  I think the limitation refers to such discount programs as large group booking, travel industry promo booking, etc.

Thanks! See you on the Dawn in 2022! 👍🏼

[FLAHAM]

21 minutes ago, copper004 said:

Thanks! See you on the Dawn in 2022! 👍🏼

That is going to be one great cruise!

[bones774]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

We have received shareholder benefit OBC on our last 20 NCL cruises.  You need to jump through some hoops to request the credit, filling out a form and supplying proof of ownership of your shares.  NCL occasionally has forgotten to credit us by check-in time, but we always have been able to work with the Guest Services Desk to get it straightened out by the end of our cruise.  Using FCC or a Cruise Next Deposit has never been a problem in getting the benefit.  I think the issue you mention may be with chartered cruises or booking a large number of people at a discounted group rate.

One very simple form to fill out and one supporting doc from your broker? I wouldn't exactly call that jumping thru hoops, how else would you expect to receive the OBC?  I've found them to be a very accommodating department. I am a Platinum cruiser. The only problem i have encountered is that i am a solo cruiser and sometimes i get 50% of the OBC and that is stated in their fine print, so when i get full OBC i consider myself lucky.

[The Traveling Man]

4 minutes ago, bones774 said:

One very simple form to fill out and one supporting doc from your broker? I wouldn't exactly call that jumping thru hoops, how else would you expect to receive the OBC?  I've found them to be a very accommodating department. I am a Platinum cruiser. The only problem i have encountered is that i am a solo cruiser and sometimes i get 50% of the OBC and that is stated in their fine print, so when i get full OBC i consider myself lucky.

What I meant was that it isn't automatic.  As a Platinum Latitudes member you automatically receive a coupon for free laundry, a discount on shore excursions, free internet, etc.  For the shareholder benefit you still have to submit a form a number of days prior to each cruise and accompany the form with a current proof of stock ownership - each and every time.  It would be nice if NCL would keep up with this information and automatically credit your OBC for each cruise.

[bones774]

1 minute ago, The Traveling Man said:

What I meant was that it isn't automatic.  As a Platinum Latitudes member you automatically receive a coupon for free laundry, a discount on shore excursions, free internet, etc.  For the shareholder benefit you still have to submit a form a number of days prior to each cruise and accompany the form with a current proof of stock ownership - each and every time.  It would be nice if NCL would keep up with this information and automatically credit your OBC for each cruise.

NCL controls all aspects of Latitudes program and can do that from their own records, So you want them to have access to your brokerage account and ability to to see if you still own the stock? Now, you're gonna say well you can show them a 29 day old account and not own the stock at the time of cruise purchase, but you do affirm when you sign the doc you own the shares.

[Budget Queen]

57 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

What I meant was that it isn't automatic.  As a Platinum Latitudes member you automatically receive a coupon for free laundry, a discount on shore excursions, free internet, etc.  For the shareholder benefit you still have to submit a form a number of days prior to each cruise and accompany the form with a current proof of stock ownership - each and every time.  It would be nice if NCL would keep up with this information and automatically credit your OBC for each cruise.

Of course you have to apply each and every time.      You want to link your private portfolio and allow them to verify your ownership?   

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, Budget Queen said:

Of course you have to apply each and every time.      You want to link your private portfolio and allow them to verify your ownership?   

NCL already has records of your stock ownership.  They use them when they send out proxy notices and annual reports.

[bones774]

2 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

NCL already has records of your stock ownership.  They use them when they send out proxy notices and annual reports.

That would only be if you have the stock certificates in your name and in your possession, most are kept in brokerage house(street name) and proxies come from a central clearing house. It's almost unheard of for a private individual to hold their own certificates.

[The Traveling Man]

7 minutes ago, bones774 said:

That would only be if you have the stock certificates in your name and in your possession, most are kept in brokerage house(street name) and proxies come from a central clearing house. It's almost unheard of for a private individual to hold their own certificates.

I guess I'm either old fashioned or just an outlier.  I hold my own.

[bones774]

Just now, The Traveling Man said:

I guess I'm either old fashioned or just an outlier.  I hold my own.

It must be quite a process for you to buy and sell. What is it a 2 week settlement time???? As I said "almost unheard of", I know of no one who holds, some people do get a certificate as a gift or because they like the elaborate look of that companies design (a collector). BTW- i've been in the market since the 70's and even then it was street named, so you would have to be real "old" fashioned.

[pmd98052]

I very much doubt NCL will be continuing this shareholder program. They need to conserve funds so benefits like this are highly likely to be cut if their accountants have any sway.

[bones774]

5 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

I very much doubt NCL will be continuing this shareholder program. They need to conserve funds so benefits like this are highly likely to be cut if their accountants have any sway.

It might not cost them that much really, whatever they give you in OBC costs them much less than the retail value you pay. For instance they give you $125 OBC and you buy overpriced t-shirts in store that may only cost them $3.00, or specialty dining that also is insignificant cost to them. 

[Budget Queen]

7 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

I very much doubt NCL will be continuing this shareholder program. They need to conserve funds so benefits like this are highly likely to be cut if their accountants have any sway.

I agree,   would not surprise me at all.    

[mking8288]

Or, to suspend the OBC for stockholders until further notice, maybe restore them at a later date with modifications ... much later than 2020-21.   Just my opinions, of course. 

 

[brovol]

4 hours ago, bones774 said:

It might not cost them that much really, whatever they give you in OBC costs them much less than the retail value you pay. For instance they give you $125 OBC and you buy overpriced t-shirts in store that may only cost them $3.00, or specialty dining that also is insignificant cost to them. 

Exactly.  The stockholder program cost NCL very little.  Same with most of the promos.  We already pay for the food on board, so if you are eating at a specialty restaurant, NCL isnt spending the cost of feeding you in the "free" dining room.  Cant be much difference between the cost of the food in the specialty vs the regular dining rooms.  Everything is marked up in price on a cruise ship, so the cruise lines dont take a hit by throwing you a little OBC bone. 

[cliffd64]

23 hours ago, copper004 said:

Owning 100+ shares of NCL stock can earn you anywhere from $50 to $250 OBC, depending on the length of the cruise. The fine print for the benefits said it excludes the Reduced Rates programs. With a lot of us re-booking cruises, aren’t we getting “reduced rates”? A lot of people on other social media sites and bragging about buying NCL stock when it was really low. And yes, the price has doubled from its low point. (Yes, I bought 100 shares too) But I’m not really sure I am going to see any OBC in my future sailings. Does anyone have some experience with the shareholders benefits? I would also not be surprised if they cancel shareholder benefits due to how low the stock went and so many people buying in. Has anyone heard anything from NCL on this topic?

Why would people buying the stock (in other words provide capital dollars to Norwegian Cruise Line Holding Company) make them not offer the benefit?   That makes no sense...  Publicly traded companies WANT people to buy the stock regardless of the price.  The benefit has nothing to do with stock price.

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, bones774 said:

It might not cost them that much really, whatever they give you in OBC costs them much less than the retail value you pay. For instance they give you $125 OBC and you buy overpriced t-shirts in store that may only cost them $3.00, or specialty dining that also is insignificant cost to them. 

 

18 minutes ago, brovol said:

Exactly.  The stockholder program cost NCL very little.  Same with most of the promos.  We already pay for the food on board, so if you are eating at a specialty restaurant, NCL isnt spending the cost of feeding you in the "free" dining room.  Cant be much difference between the cost of the food in the specialty vs the regular dining rooms.  Everything is marked up in price on a cruise ship, so the cruise lines dont take a hit by throwing you a little OBC bone. 

 

I think you are both missing the point.  It's not that the shareholder OBC program costs them much money to administer or to give out the OBC, it's that by giving people OBC they don't RECEIVE the cash that people would otherwise spend, whether it's for an overpriced t-shirt, a shore excursion, or bingo.   The hit they take is on losing the RECEIPT of the money not being spent by the guests because they are using OBC instead.   

 

Right now, NCL needs CASH.   Folks above are speculating that NCL might end or suspend the shareholder program because giving people OBC results in less CASH for the cruiseline. 

[pmd98052]

5 hours ago, bones774 said:

It might not cost them that much really, whatever they give you in OBC costs them much less than the retail value you pay. For instance they give you $125 OBC and you buy overpriced t-shirts in store that may only cost them $3.00, or specialty dining that also is insignificant cost to them. 

Yes it doesn't cost them much but a) As a company they owe hundreds of billions b) They have zero customers and won't have any customers for quite some time c) Once they do have customers they likely won't make profits on each cruise due to limitations in numbers and other restrictions d) The people who have bailed NCL with hundreds of billions of loans will want money back and won't want hand outs going to shareholders.

[bones774]

28 minutes ago, pmd98052 said:

Yes it doesn't cost them much but a) As a company they owe hundreds of billions b) They have zero customers and won't have any customers for quite some time c) Once they do have customers they likely won't make profits on each cruise due to limitations in numbers and other restrictions d) The people who have bailed NCL with hundreds of billions of loans will want money back and won't want hand outs going to shareholders.

Yes, i see what you are saying, i cant believe how the stock rocketed these past days with all that to look at but crumbling now

[pmd98052]

14 minutes ago, bones774 said:

Yes, i see what you are saying, i cant believe how the stock rocketed these past days with all that to look at but crumbling now

 

The stock market all up makes absolutely zero sense right now. Its going to plummet way further than it did the first time once this wave 1.5 takes hold and then wave 2 follows. All those states that opened early have really (to use a UK term) screwed the pooch.

Edited June 11, 2020 by pmd98052

[BirdTravels]

On 6/10/2020 at 4:11 PM, The Traveling Man said:

What I meant was that it isn't automatic.  As a Platinum Latitudes member you automatically receive a coupon for free laundry, a discount on shore excursions, free internet, etc.  For the shareholder benefit you still have to submit a form a number of days prior to each cruise and accompany the form with a current proof of stock ownership - each and every time.  It would be nice if NCL would keep up with this information and automatically credit your OBC for each cruise.

 

21 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

NCL already has records of your stock ownership.  They use them when they send out proxy notices and annual reports.

How would they match a stock owned by John Smith to someone named John Smith booking a cruise? My address on my investment accounts is not the address on my Latitudes account. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by BirdTravels

[zdcatc12]

2 hours ago, pmd98052 said:

Yes it doesn't cost them much but a) As a company they owe hundreds of billions d) The people who have bailed NCL with hundreds of billions of loans will want money back and won't want hand outs going to shareholders.

Just curious, where are you getting that they owe hundreds of billion dollars in loans? The loan they got a few months ago after the pandemic started was for $675 million.